A Pirate Romance
by Wavie
Summary: Sparrabeth! Elizabeth didn't wear the cursed medalion when she fell into the ocean. Based on the Jailed Bird Challenge! Sparrabeth!
1. Prologue

_This story is based on the Jail Bird Challenge from the Pirates of the Caribbean Challenges community. This is going to be a Sparrabeth story, just so we have that sorted right away so if you don't like that pairing you might not like this story. The Prologue is awfully short but future chapters will eb longer._

* * *

Prologue

…"_A marriage to a fine woman. You have become a fine woman, Elizabeth"._

_Elizabeth had known that this day would someday come, the day that someone would ask for her hand in marriage. And she couldn't pretend that she hadn't had the slightest suspicion about James Norrington having his eyes set on her. But this was not something she could overcome now. Wearing this heavy dress in the Caribbean heat was almost unbearable; especially with that new corset of hers that was tied around her upper body so tight it was as if it was trying to choke her._

"_I can't breathe," she uttered._

_James Norrington replied something but she was unable to hear what he said because at that moment she felt herself losing her balance and her vision darken._

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_Awfully short, like I said, but I hope you liked it anyway.  
_


	2. Chapter 2

The next thing Elizabeth knew, she was lying on the boat bridge, gasping and spitting water out of her mouth. She did no longer feel the pressure of her corset and put a hand behind her back to feel that somebody had loosened it, for which she was thankful. She looked up to see somebody hovering over her, somebody that she had never seen before. She had no time to take in his appearance however because her father, Governor Swann, rushed to help her to her feet.

"Elizabeth!" he cried. "Are you alright?"

"Yes father, I'm fine," she resuured him. She rubbed her arms to gain some warmth.

Then she noticed the man next to James Norrington. He was tall with dark eyes, long dark hair, wearing a pirate hat atop a red scarf that was tied around his head. So this man was a pirate. But she instantly recognized him.

"Jack Sparrow is it?" said James Norrington.

"Captain Jack Sparrow actually," the man corrected.

"Captain?" Norrington raised an eyebrow. "I don't see your ship anywhere".

"This working on that one at the moment sir," Jack Sparrow said. Elizabeth was surprised. He didn't look the least bit frightened, even with his hands tied and surrounded by officers of the British Royal Navy, he looked completly calm. He had been caught and was likely to be executed for piracy and here he stood like he was just catching up with an old friend and not his executioner.

"These are his sir," an officer offered, carrying in his arms what looked to be a sword, a belt and other weapons. Norrington accepted them, looking though the items.

"Let's see; a pistol with one shot, a compas that doesn't point north-" he paused as he unsheated the sword. "And I ahlf expected this to be made of wood. Jack Sparrow you are without a doubt the worst pirate I have ever heard of".

"Ah but you have heard of me," Jack stated, smiling innocently.

"Lock him up!" Norrington ordered.

"Commodore I really must protest," Elizabeth took a step toward Norrington, making him stop dead in his tracks, facing her. "Pirate or not this man just saved my life!"

"One good deed is not enough to wash away his other sins," Norrington stated calmly. "Gentlemen, lock him up!"

Elizabeth knew there was no arguing with Norrington so she just turned to glare at him instead. Norrington was taken slightly aback by her fierce expression but he shrugged and followed his men to take Jack Sparrow to the prison.

Her father patted her shoulder. "Let's get you home darling, you must be in terrible shock still-"

"I'm fine," she cut him off. "Let's go home," she agreed.

* * *

Elizabeth was quiet.

Her father had invited Norrington to dine with them to celebrate his promotion, though Elizabeth had a feeling her father was really hoping that Norrington would make another attempt at proposing to her. But Norrington hadn't mentioned their 'conversation' at all, for which she was very grateful. This was not the time to discuss marriage, she had been close to drowning earlier today and saved by a pirate.

Her younger self would have thought of this as an exciting adventure. And maybe it was too, from a young and naive perspective. But she was not so young and naive anymore. Like Norrington had said, she was a fine woman. A fine woman that almost lost her life only because of a corset. It was somewhat hilarious she supposed.

But she would never wear that blasted corset again.

"Elizabeth darling you haven't said a word," her father stated.

"I was just thinking, father," she said as the maids started clearing the table.

"If you will excuse me I have some matters to tend to in my study," he said. "Commodore would you care to join me in ten minutes' time?"

"Certainly Governor Swann," he said.

"I couldn't help but notice that you have barely touched your food," Norrington said, turning to Elizabeth when her father had departed from the room.

Elizabeth resisted the urge to laugh. Couldn't help but notice? He had probably been stealing glances of her during the entire meal. But she didn't voice her thoughts. Instead she merely said, "Apologies Commodore, I wasn't very hungry".

Norrington nodded. "Yes, that's understandable of course," he agreed. "I am was merely conserned".

"There is nothing to be conserned about Commore," Elizabeth said. "I am alright now, I'm alive".

"But there is," Norrington argued. "I was merely standing there, I didn't save you".

Elizabeth didn't blame him for the accident. "Commore I-" "James, please," he cut in.

"James there was nothing you could have done," she said. "What do you think you could have done? Jamped after me? I barely missed the rocks, there is no telling if you would be so lucky, besides Captain Jack-"

James cut her off. "A pirate," he said, there was a vague hint of bitterness in hsi voice, she thought.

"Pirate or not, he saved my life, he didn't have to but he did".

"He will be hanged tomorrow night for piracy," James stated.

"And where is he now? I trust he must be kept safe until that time," Elizabeth said calmly.

"Yes, he is locket up in prison," James answered.

"It's not fair," Elizabeth said quietly.

James studied her face for a moment. "That is what happenes to all pirates that get caught".

"What kind of world are we living in James?" Elizabeth asked. "You do a good deed and it ends up costing you dearly".

James looked stunned but thoughtful. "You are not feeling guilty are you?" he asked.

"He saved my life James," Elizabath said matter-of-factly. "For that I am grateful. You should be too".

"Elizabeth-" James was about to say something but was cut off. "I believe my father is expecting you in his study," she said. "I will retire for the night, I am rather tired, that is understandable?"

James nodded and left in the direction of her father's study.


	3. Chapter 3

_I decided to merge some of the chapters to make them longer._

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Elizabeth was sitting in her bed, looking at the medallion in her hand. It was engraved with a skull, the same skull that you would see on most pirate colors.

Elizabeth had had the medallion for eight years, hiding it in her desk drawer. She had found it when making the crossing from England to Port Royal when she was younger. They had found a boy in the water and rescued him. He was left in Elizabeth's care and she had found the medallion around his neck and had quickly taken it before any of the others would notice it and accuse him of piracy.

The boy's name was William Turner, going by the name of Will. Today he was a young man working as a blacksmith in town. He was one of Elizabeth's closest friends and they spent a lot of time together playing when they were younger but now their meetings had gotten more rare. He had lots of work to do at the smithy and she had dinners, banquets and other boring high society activities to attend.

She had never mentioned the medallion to him and he had never asked about it. She wasn't sure why, maybe she had been afraid that he would get mad at her or that he would confirm her worst suspicions – that he was a pirate. She supposed it was a silly thought. That man despised the very word 'piracy,' of course he would have nothing to do with it.

But she had kept the medallion all these years, studying it, admiring it.

She had always found pirates fascinating, a fact which had her father very concerned when she had been younger. Perhaps he was afraid that she might join them one day herself.

Not that she had never imagined herself as a pirate, she had, more than once, but she was a governor's daughter, she was not cut out for piracy.

Elizabeth turned the medallion between her fingers. It was pretty to look at and it looked to be solid gold.

She put it around her neck like she had so many times before. She liked wearing it. There was something appealing about this medallion. She wondered if it had any significant meaning. She wondered where Will Turner had gotten it. She wondered _how_ Will had gotten it. Perhaps it was time to ask him.

Suddenly not feeling tired anymore she climbed out of her bed. Luckily she hadn't changed into her nightgown yet and was still fully dressed. She looked at the clock in the corner of her room. It said half past nine. It probably wasn't too late to pay Will a visit.

* * *

Elizabeth had swept a shawl around her shoulders and snuck out of her father's house.

Or almost. She had made it to the steps outside the front door before she was caught. It seemed that James Norrington had just finished doing business with her father and was on his way home.

"Elisabeth!" He caught her by the shoulders and turned her around to face him. "What are you doing outside so late at night?"

"It is not that late," she protested.

"You shouldn't be out alone," James said. "All kinds of things could happen".

Elizabeth suppressed a sigh. This wasn't the first time she had snuck out without her father knowing, she knew it wasn't proper but she didn't care, it would be so much easier if she had been a man, then she could be seen at all hours without people making it such a huge scandal.

But now that she thought about it, what was she thinking anyway? Going to Will's this late in the evening to ask him about a medallion she had practically stolen from him, keeping it without him knowing for eight years. It was madness.

But she was dying to solve the mystery of this medallion.

She failed to hear Norrington's question.

"I'm sorry what were you saying?" she asked.

James huffed. "I was asking you where you were planning on going this late at night".

Elizabeth had changed her mind about Will. It wasn't a good idea. Suddenly a thought came to her.

"I wanted to visit a prisoner in the cells," she said.

This was obviously not the answer James Norrington had expected. His facial expression read surprise all over it.

"A prisoner," he repeated.

She nodded. "Jack Sparrow," she said. "I want to speak with him".

Now James wore an expression of that of surprise mixed with outrage.

"A pirate!" he said. "Elizabeth, have you gone mad?"

"What?" she challenged. "Why would I have to be mad to do this?"

"You shouldn't be associating with criminals," he said. "Especially not by yourself, it is not safe for a beautiful woman such as yourself to be walking out alone at this hour!"

Elizabeth could feel her temper start to rise. She wished he would stop with pointing out her gender as an excuse.

"Flattery will not help you, commodore," she said. "And besides now that you are here I don't have to walk alone". She put much sweetness into the last part, trying to convince him.

James looked hesitant.

"Please," Elizabeth pressed. "I want to thank him for saving my life, I owe him at least that much".

Elizabeth knew she had won this round. James Norrington would do anything for her; that was the fact that she had slowly become aware of.

"If that is what you really want to Elizabeth," he said softly.

"It is," she said.

The newly promoted commodore nodded in agreement and offered her his arm, while he put his other hand down to touch his sword to make sure it was still in place.

"Thank you James," Elizabeth said softly and linked her arm with his.

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_Was it alright? If you have any complaints feel free to voice them. Please review._


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